August 2024 Newsletter

July Recap....

We are entering into the "dog days of summer." Just when you thought it couldn't get any hotter...the temps increase and hit triple digits for days on end! We want to strongly encourage all of you to get outside and sweat. This is an excellent FREE form of detoxing, but make sure you HYDRATE. The more you hydrate....the more you sweat (detox)!

July's Eat the Rainbow challenge winner was......Maren Reeder! CONGRATS! We will be DM'ing you with details on receiving your functional lab test and setting up your free consultation to review the results. Don't worry if you weren't the lucky winner....you can still reap the benefits of an at home test by working with us! Check out our program video on our homepage to find out how we can help you.

August Tech Cleanse Challenge

As we wrap up our vacations and start getting ready for the school year, we want to challenge you to give yourself a technology cleanse. Don't get us wrong....we use technology daily. We need it! You are reading this on your phone and computer. We get it! But....did you know that there is so much about technology that actually affects our health?

Blue light and EMF's are on the top of our list in terms of being detrimental to our health. Blue light from our cell phone and computer screens actually messes with our circadian rhythm and can lead to headaches and feelings of insomnia at night. It also has harmful UV rays that can cause damage to your retina. Prolonged exposure to EMF waves can cause headaches, weaken our immune systems, lead to infertility, and increase inflammation in our bodies. Who wants that?

EMF radiation is everywhere. We can't really shield ourselves from it 100% of the time. But we can limit the amount of exposure we have. We provide our clients with tips and tricks to help them navigate their exposure. One FREE easy way is to limit the amount of time you allow yourself to be on technology.

Our August challenge is for you to avoid screen time the first thirty minutes of your day and the hour before going to sleep. We know that of many of us reach for our phones first thing upon waking and start scrolling social media, the news, emails, and missed text messages. We are guilty of this too! This actually messes with our nervous system and puts us in a state of "fight or flight" causing elevated stress in the body. We created a simple morning and evening routine checklist. Let us know if you would like us to email you this document or a blank one for you to write out your own routines!

Movement- Paddleboarding

With the soaring temperatures, we know many of you have sought refuge at local lakes, rivers, and beaches. Keep in mind that these are great places to keep our bodies moving. It's so tempting to just use the water as a place to cool off in between shoreline chit-chats, but we highly encourage you to use these places as a source of movement!

Paddleboarding is a total body workout. You must use your core strength in order to stand on the board. Paddling requires quad, hamstring, back and shoulder strength and mobility! It also promotes a stronger grip (which we have talked about in previous newsletters), as well as burns belly fat. Not to mention, this can be a great cardio workout, depending on how far you go! You can sit and paddle if standing is too much of a challenge, and still get a great workout!

We love the convenience of our inflatable paddleboards because we can just throw everything into our cars and head to the lake. However, there are many places that have rentals available. Click here for the link to rentals at Boerne Lake.

Recipe of the Month

Featured Ingredient: Lavender

Lavender...most people associate lavender with aromatherapy and essential oils. But it's actually a very versatile herb that can be used to enhance our food dishes! Yes, that's right--cooking with lavender.

Whether you are smelling lavender's floral scent through aromatherapy, or using lavender essential oils, or if you step outside of the box and cook with it, you are getting a bunch of different benefits. Lavender is great to relieve stress and anxiety, but it's also helpful with headaches and inflammation and discomfort that comes with it. For headaches, simply smelling the herb can help, but you can also dab a drop of essential oil on both temples on your head. For inflammation and discomfort, simply add 2-3 drops of essential oil with 15-20 drops of a carrier oil (coconut oil and castor oil are great choices!), and massage onto the area.

You don't have to grow your own lavender, either. You can buy dried lavender at the grocery store or on Amazon. The two recipes we're sharing have a wonderful calming aroma when you're making and eating/drinking. But here's the tip with lavender: It doesn't take much. Use it sparingly, like rosemary. Too much and your dish may taste like expensive soap... but just a little? Absolutely lovely!

As we deal with the sweltering summer heat, our recipes with our featured ingredient are light, refreshing (and calming!), and have the spirit of summer grilling: Lavender Lemonade with Grilled Lavender-Honey Chicken Breast. Enjoy!

Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP dried lavender

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)

• Filtered water

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, add honey, dried lavender, and 1 cup of water. Turn on heat to medium and stir to combine ingredients. Bring liquid to a slight simmer (you don't want to burn off the health benefits of the honey!). Once it gets to a slight simmer, remove from heat and let steep for 30min to 1 hour.

2. Strain the liquid (lavender simple syrup!) into a serving pitcher. Then add the fresh lemon juice and about 4 cups of water. Stir until combined and taste test--if you like your lemonade sweeter, add a bit more honey. If you like it more tart, you can add another squeeze of lemon. If it's too tart or sweet, simply add another cup of water. *Flavor improves when nice and chilled.

Grilled Lavender-Honey Chicken Breast (no picture...it was eaten too quick!)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white vinegar

• 1/4 cup lemon zest

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

•  1/4 cup honey

• 1 TBSP dried lavender

• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

• 8 boneless chicken breasts

• Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, honey, lavender, lime juice, and a nice pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place, skin side down, on the grill. Cook, turning the chicken every 5 minutes and brushing occasionally with marinade, for 15 minutes, or until no longer pink when tested with a sharp knife. Let rest on cutting board for 5 minutes before serving. Discard any remaining marinade.

Research and Reviews

Bronnie Ware was a nurse who cared for patients who were on their way out of this world. She had many experiences with people on their death beds and collected their thoughts and memories throughout the years. She also noted the regrets of many and wrote the book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Here are her findings:

 I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

 I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

 I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

 I wish that I had let myself be happier.

We know that life can feel overwhelming at times, and that stress of not doing the things that make you happy can actually start to affect your health. When you join our program, we educate you in both nutrition and lifestyle to try to help you navigate what life is throwing at you. Our holistic approach takes the WHOLE person and their history into consideration before providing action steps to help you with your health journey. We want you living life without these regrets. It's time for you to get started. Fill out an application today!

Apply Now!

Featured Product

Coffee, when consuming good quality (in moderation), has great health benefits! Studies show that coffee can help with weight management, supports brain and heart health and may help decrease chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Good quality coffee is loaded with antioxidants that help keep free radicals in check, which helps protect us against premature aging, oxidative stress, and even cancer in some studies.

However, majority of the coffee at the store is riddled with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The pre-ground coffee has preservatives so that it can sit on the shelf for MONTHS. They’re also loaded with mycotoxins (MOLD), which can trigger a slew of side effects and chronic inflammation. And to top everything off, majority of coffee farmers around the world get paid based off of the coffee commodity market (the C Market of the stock market). What does that mean? It means that the C Market sets global coffee prices, which therefore determines how much the farmers get paid. And we all know the stock market fluctuates all the time…sometimes coffee prices are set so low that farmers struggle to survive and feed their families.

A coffee brand that we enjoy is Fabula coffee. Fabula sets the bar super high:

• Low acid: coffee is naturally acidic, and many companies over-roast their beans, making them even more acidic, causing uncomfortable symptoms. Fabula roasts their beans JUST enough so they keep the acidity as low as possible while maintaining their flavor

• 100% Mold-free

• Certified organic and non-GMO

• Fresh roasted whole bean or ground coffee: even their pre-ground coffee is roasted and ground just a few days prior to shipping. So NO preservatives!

• Ethically sourced: Fabula pays more for their coffee than the Coffee Market rate, which means farmers get paid fair wages and are able to support their families and local community.

• BONUS they have K-cups that are made from paper and fully compostable!

Try Fabula today and click below for 20% off your orders!

20% Fabula Coffee!